海角大神

By acclamation, Thursday night鈥檚 Democratic debate was the most raucous yet. From the start, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders hurled accusations at one another, questioned each other鈥檚 suitability for the presidency, and interrupted regularly. The Brooklyn audience made a lot of noise, more for Senator Sanders than former Secretary of State Clinton.

During one particularly chaotic moment, CNN moderator Wolf Blitzer jumped in with a warning: 鈥淚f you鈥檙e both screaming at each other, the viewers won鈥檛 be able to hear either of you.鈥�

The stakes in Thursday鈥檚 debate were higher for Sanders than for Clinton. Sanders trails Clinton in the delegate count for the nomination 鈥� badly, if superdelegates are included 鈥� and in polls of New York Democrats, who hold their primary on Tuesday. If Sanders loses badly in New York, his chances at securing the nomination nearly vanish.

But the Vermont democratic socialist insists he won鈥檛 give up. He鈥檚 promised to take his fight all the way through the last primary in June and onto the floor of the Democratic National Convention in July. His fundraising 鈥� he鈥檚 outraised Clinton the last three months 鈥� will allow him to do that.

To Democratic analysts, Thursday鈥檚 debate was lively 鈥� but nothing out of bounds, especially when compared with some of the wild and vulgar moments in the Donald Trump-infused Republican debates. Still, the Brooklyn debate served as a reminder that uniting Democratic voters behind their eventual nominee may not be easy.

鈥淚 think the question on that score is what happens between June 7 and the convention,鈥� says Democratic strategist Peter Fenn.

Sanders's decision

After June 7, when California holds its primary, the nomination should be clear 鈥� most likely Clinton. Then what does Sanders do?

鈥淵ou can take it to the convention, get a speaking slot, have your name placed in nomination, and go through the roll call on the first ballot,鈥� says Mr. Fenn. 鈥淏ut don鈥檛 go around saying superdelegates are a sham.鈥�

Democratic superdelegates are the elected officials and party leaders empowered to vote for whomever they want at the convention. They account for 15 percent of the total delegates, and most support Clinton, so far.

Sanders鈥檚 team argues that the superdelegates should vote how their state votes 鈥� and that Sanders can win them over. They will be swayed by the energy and enthusiasm behind Sanders鈥檚 campaign, his campaign manager says.

鈥淎ll these young people who are coming out for Bernie Sanders, are they going to come out for Hillary Clinton?鈥� last week. 鈥淚鈥檓 not so confident about that.鈥� 聽

Sanders has said repeatedly he would vote for Clinton if she鈥檚 the nominee. The question is whether he will rally his followers to support her. Polls suggest that Democrats will have less difficulty getting their party to unite in November than will the Republicans, who appear to be headed for a contested convention.

And when the Republicans settle on their nominee, analysts say, that will energize Democrats 鈥� particularly if it鈥檚 the populist, nativist Mr. Trump or Ted Cruz, the hard-line conservative senator from Texas.

But for now, the Democrats are having their own drama, as Sanders 鈥� the populist outsider who isn鈥檛 even fully a Democrat 鈥� pushes the ultimate Democratic insider.

In Thursday鈥檚 debate, some of the conflict over issues boiled over. Sanders and Clinton were yelling simultaneously about the minimum wage 鈥� Sanders wants $15, Clinton wants $12 鈥� when Mr. Blitzer had to intervene. The two also clashed over Israel and the Palestinians, guns, and how to break up the big banks.

Sanders deployed his oft-repeated argument that Clinton should release the transcripts of her lucrative speeches to Goldman Sachs, and Clinton defended herself by saying that she had 鈥渟tood up against the behaviors of the banks鈥� when she was a senator.

Sanders responded with sarcasm. 鈥淪ecretary Clinton called them out. Oh my goodness, they must have been really crushed by this,鈥� he said.

There were no knockout punches in the debate, just the raising of familiar issues and displays of frayed nerves 鈥� hardly surprising, after months of nonstop campaigning.

Benefits of a marathon

The Democrats鈥� extended season of contested primaries isn鈥檛 necessarily all bad for the eventual nominee. Just as Barack Obama鈥檚 spirited competition with Clinton eight years ago was seen as helpful in prepping him for the general election, and in getting organized in every state, so too can the eventual Democratic nominee of 2016 gain from the current marathon.

Still, Clinton would just as soon get on with focusing on the general election, given her lead in delegates (both pledged and 鈥渟uper鈥�) and the likelihood that she鈥檒l win the nomination.

Clinton managed to work Trump into the debate anyway. She tied the billionaire to Sanders over the point that neither has released their tax returns, despite promises to do so (and despite their vastly differing net worths). And she highlighted her appeal to women, by slamming Trump for his recent comment that women should potentially be punished for having an abortion, a position he quickly reversed.

But the reality is that Sanders has mounted a more vigorous challenge to Clinton than anyone expected 鈥� perhaps even Sanders himself. His wife, Jane, has said as much.

In addition, Sanders鈥檚 challenge has brought certain issues to the fore, including the trans-Pacific trade deal, the cost of college, and the minimum wage. Whether Clinton would have taken different positions absent Sanders can鈥檛 be known, but if she鈥檚 the nominee and wants his supporters to back her, the Sanders effect will remain long after the nomination race is over.